ASI report on debris mitigation at the 25th IADC

Two Italian satellites were launched in orbit since the last IADC (April 2006): AGILE (360 kg), using an Indian PSLV C-8 launcher from Sriharikota, into an equatorial orbit (h = 523 x 553 km, inc = 2.47 deg); and COSMO-Skymed 1 (1700 kg), using a Delta-II launcher from Vandenberg, into a sun-synchronous frozen orbit (h = 622 x 626 km, inc = 97.86 deg). No Italian satellite or upper stage decayed from orbit in the meantime. At present, 13 Italian satellites (4 in GEO, 1 in MEO, 8 in LEO) and 2 spent upper stages (1 in LEO/MEO, 1 in MEO) are in orbit, but no imminent reentry is foreseen. The next planned launches are the following: -COSMO-Skymed-2 (1700 kg), using a Delta-II launcher from Vandenberg (CA), into a sun-synchronous, circular, 620 km orbit; -SICRAL-1B (2596 kg), in geostationary orbit (Ariane5, Delta IV or Proton).